Spitfire restored at Thruxton fetched £1.7 million at this weeks auction at an RAF museum in Hendon.
The two-seater Vickers-Supermarine Spitfire Tr Mark IX was bought on Monday by adventurer Steve Brooks who was the first person to fly pole-to-pole by helicopter, landing in Antarctica in January 2005.
He was also the first person to drive across the Bering Strait from America to Russia in 2002.
The Spitfire was originally sold in 1948 to the South African Air Force and later discovered in a Cape Town scrap yard in the 1970s.
It was rescued by the late building developer and aviation enthusiast Charles Church who initiated the long process of restoration.
It passed through several owners before ending its journey at Classic Aero Engineering in Thruxton, which was commissioned to complete the restoration.
Mr Brooks spent £1,739,500 on the iconic piece of British history, which is the first two-seater Mk IX Spitfire to be offered at public auction for over 20 years.

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Filmed by Henry Tenby, with special thanks to John Sessions of the Historical Flight Foundation for the invitation to fly on their Douglas DC-3 N877MG. This aircraft was recently restored back to fabulous like new condition. This video was filmed on the media flight at the Abbotsford Airshow, Friday August 8, 2014, which took us out over Harrison Lake, east of the Abbotsford airport. There were about a dozen media photogs on board. It was a terrific day for a flight on a DC-3! Towards the end of the video we do a high G turn before landing.

Henry Tenby of AirlineTV.net filmed this footage at the Abbotsford Airshow 2010 media day on Thursday, August 12, 2010.
This footage highlights the Lanc's flight that day with engine starts, run ups, take-off, airfield beat-ups, tax in and shut down. It was fabulous to hear four Rolls Royce Merline engines perform. Where else on the planet can you relive the authentic sounds of a DC-4M2 NorthStar, Argonaut, Avro Lancastrian and Avro York in this day and age! This Lanc and one other Lanc (in the UK) are the only two operational examples in the world.
Without a doubt, the RCAF Avro Lancaster from the Canadian Warplane Heritage museum in Hamilton, Ontario stole the show at the 2010 Abbotsford Airshow. The Lanc was flown all the way across Canada to attend the show, and made a week's long maintenance stop in Calgary enroute to Abbotsford.
What an amazing sight to see and hear a fully operational Lanc in all her splendour. This particular aircraft was built in 1945 and did not see service in WWII, but served in a Search and Rescue role with the RCAF until the early 60s. It was music to the hear to hear this old girl perform.
Sadly all of our media requests for interviews and filming were refused by the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum PR lady when we spoke to her several weeks before hand. Every single question was answered with the word "no" ... what a shame. They would not allow us to film them in Calgary, we could not install a micro video cam in the cockpit for inflight filming, we could not do air-to-air, we could not fly on the aircraft, nor could we get any exclusive interviews.
That said, I am extremely grateful that we captured the Lanc on HD video for the viewing enjoyment of future generations, as nobody really knows how long this flying museum piece will remain operational. Shame the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum wasn't more helpful.

Without a doubt, the RCAF Avro Lancaster from the Canadian Warplane Heritage museum in Hamilton, Ontario stole the show at the 2010 Abbotsford Airshow.
The Lanc was flown all the way across Canada to attend the show, and made a week's long maintenance stop in Calgary enroute to Abbotsford. What an amazing sight to see and hear a fully operational Lanc in all her splendour. This particular aircraft was built in 1945 and did not see service in WWII, but served in a Search and Rescue role with the RCAF until the early 60s. It was music to the hear to hear this old girl perform.
Sadly all of our media requests for interviews and filming were refused by the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum PR lady when we spoke to her several weeks before hand. Every single question was answered with the word "no" ... what a shame. They would not allow us to film them in Calgary, we could not install a micro video cam in the cockpit for inflight filming, we could not do air-to-air, we could not fly on the aircraft, nor could we get any exclusive interviews.
Henry Tenby of AirlineTV.net filmed this footage at the Abbotsford Airshow 2010 media day on Thursday, August 12, 2010, which opens with the Lanc Captain's media briefing. I am extremely grateful that we captured the Lanc on HD video for the viewing enjoyment of future generations, as nobody really knows how long this flying museum piece will remain operational.

Where else in the world can you hear four Rolls Royce Merlin engines (built under license by Packard) being run up against the brakes? Henry Tenby of AirlineTV.net filmed this footage at the Abbotsford Airshow 2010 media day on Thursday, August 12, 2010, which includes pre-flight engine run-ups and post flight maintenance run-ups.
Without a doubt, the RCAF Avro Lancaster from the Canadian Warplane Heritage museum in Hamilton, Ontario stole the show at the 2010 Abbotsford Airshow.
The Lanc was flown all the way across Canada to attend the show, and made a week's long maintenance stop in Calgary enroute to Abbotsford. What an amazing sight to see and hear a fully operational Lanc in all her splendour. This particular aircraft was built in 1945 and did not see service in WWII, but served in a Search and Rescue role with the RCAF until the early 60s. It was music to the hear to hear this old girl perform.
Sadly all of our media requests for interviews and filming were refused by the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum PR lady when we spoke to her several weeks before hand. Every single question was answered with the word "no" ... what a shame. They would not allow us to film them in Calgary, we could not install a micro video cam in the cockpit for inflight filming, we could not do air-to-air, we could not fly on the aircraft, nor could we get any exclusive interviews.
I am extremely grateful that we captured the Lanc on HD video for the viewing enjoyment of future generations, as nobody really knows with certainty how long this flying museum piece will remain operational.